Building A Sorority Tank

[Kekmet]

It's taken awhile, but I've finally decided to build a sorority tank. Right now I have a 20 gallon- how many girls would it be safe to put in there?

 

[flautist]

In a 20 gallon, I think 12 would be okay.

 

[Kekmet]

hehe, wow. I don't even think our LFS carries that many females at once.

Thanks flautist!

 

[vic]

I am not a betta person. However, I am curious about having a number of female betta together in one tank. Is this not the commencement of WW3. Given that there is no warefare, would it be reasonable to then assume that several female betta in a community tank would be a peaceful thing?
Thanks;

 

[Kekmet]

From what I've heard, generally there'll be some bickering until they determine a hierarchy. Apparently some female bettas can't be kept with any other fish as they're too pushy, but it seems like that's in the minority. I suppose soon I'll get to see first hand, but that's what I've gathered from what I've read!

 

[ILM]

Totally depend on the personality of the fish. Some females are real peaceful all the time. Some have polar disorder (swinging between nice, then evil without any apparent reason). Other females are just as aggressive and nasty as the males. Sometimes females will get along great and suddenly they'll decide they just don't like one of them and pester her (to death sometimes)--nipping at her, keeping her from feeding, keeping her backed into a corner, making going to the surface for air a risky thing, etc. Sister fish work best because they've already established supremacy from birth. But non-related females can sometimes cohabitate well too although it is always a good idea to have LOTS of plants and obstructions to hide behind (not so much in--they don't want to get cornered). You'll have ot keep the tanks REAL clean and at teh first sign of anything off, even if you can't be sure quite yet, you absolutely need ot remove the maybe-sick fish so the rest of the tank won't get contaminated because you can lose a whole tank real fast. If a particular female turns out to be overly aggressive, remove her. At feeding time, you might want to drop the food across the surface, not in just one place, so all get a chance to feed (the dominates will hog all the food otherwise). I like all female tanks because you get to watch the changing dynamics and interactions bertween the fish. I also think females kept in sororities are more socialized (to other fish) so if you breed one of them, they aren't so afraid of the male.

 

[silver tipped]

Hi,

I have 3 females together at the mo and so far they have all behaved very well.

When I bought them they were in a tank with about 20 other females and had come from the same breeder, so I am assuming that they were either sisters or some other relation.

I would love to have that many bettas but I'm a bit loathed to add any more to mine as they get on so well I don't want to upset the balance.

 

[Kekmet]

Well, right now I have 7 girls in the sorority tank.

There was already a bit of fisticuffs (finicuffs? ), the three biggest girls had at each other. It all seems to have sorted itself out, though- they're swimming about like they're all best of friends, now, and oogling the male in the tank next to them. He's oblivious, of course!

I've already spent like three hours on and off staring at these girls as they swim around- I always thought my boys were active, but they have nothing on these ladies! Gotta love the ladies.

 

[ezrock]

Interesting. Glad it went well already since you started the thread.

Makes me want to have a sorority tank now. I was planning on giving away any females from my spawn, but maybe I'll have to rethink that! There will likely be only 4 or 5 at the most as I have only 9 fry (at ~10 weeks old) anyways, and I have a 10gallon mediumly-planted tank (think I just made up a new adjective ).

Decisions, decisions!

-Ian

PS. do you have pictures of your 20gal sorority?